The Austerity Meal Plan

Used last bit of suds.

Feed your family of three for $33 dollars for the week! That sounds like a head line I need to see. I have challenged myself to keep my household, personal, and grocery to $300 total, leaving no stone unturned, in terms of cleaning out the pantry, fridge, and freezer, and monitoring the cleaning and personal supplies. Admittedly, I gave myself some loose rules. I didn't count my limited makeup purchases, that are only bought twice a year, and would have wiped out 1/4 of the budget, but will count towards my personal discretionary spending. I also only counted the cost of items purchased to get DD2 packed for her trip that would have been used if she was at home, putting the rest in the travel category. Still, it covered laundry and dish washer soap, toilet paper, soap, and shampoo.I do need to buy more dish washing and laundry soap, hopefully finding both, with tax, for under $3.00, but will give myself $5, leaving just $28 for food, or $4.00 supplement per day to what is on hand

We didn't eat out or get take out any more than other months in March. We picked up Papa Murphy's twice, avoided the grocery deli counter, DH's love of their chicken dinners was put on hold, ate brunch out with a free gift certificate, each of us had a dinner out separately dealing with some family stuff, I had a work outing with appetizers, and we met friends last night. For a 31 day month with five Fridays (we anticipate being home next Friday night), less restaurant and take out meals I suspect we've done other times during the year.

Saturday muffins with frozen bananas.

This is not a complete inventory, but here are main items I can still use for meals. DD2 will not be happy. She hates my challenges, saying we have nothing to eat in the house. I'll need to spend some special attention making sure I rise to her criticism.

Proteins
4 small chicken breast fillets
3/4 pound cooked hamburger
2 pound bacon
cocktail hot dogs
6 eggs

Vegetables/fruit

Freezer is getting lean.

1 pound carrots
1 pound onions
zucchini
2 bananas
3 apples

Pantry
1 1/2 boxes spaghetti
1 1/2 bag egg noddles
assorted condensed soups
canned tomatoes, pineapple, pumpkin, corn
loads of baking supplies and spices
rice
3 ready to make rice and potato dishes 
taco meal kit
canned beans and chick peas
peanut butter and jelly
pancake mix
 3/4 loaf of bread
 1 jar spaghetti sauce


Dairy
bit of plain yogurt
12 ounces mozzarella
2-3 ounces Colby
pint or so of milk
5 cheese singles

I also have bits of partial things all over the refrigerator, freezer and pantry I'll try to use up. I am determined that we will not be eating boxed macaroni and cheese or spaghetti every night, challenging to have meals worthy of non austere menus. Breakfast Saturday was home made muffins, with a loaf for the freezer. Today we'll dine on pancakes or waffles, bacon, and fruit salad, and possibly chicken tetrazinni for supper. I'll make a smallish curry, using up the last of the yogurt and zucchini, making DD2 happy.

Yesterday I posted a "just dreaming for now" vacation plan that included a once in a lifetime possibility that would cost $14,000. Yet, today, I'm figuring out how to stretch $33 to make it to the end of the week. Some reading this might say to wait on or scale back the vacation, eat and shop like a normal person. My answer would be three fold. I've never regretted any funds ever spent traveling, and if we could manage it with both time and money, we would do more. If I can reduce my shopping by $50 a month just four times this year, we've covered 1-2 nights lodging, or ground transportation from airport to hotel and back again. Second, I enjoy the challenge of feeding and caring for my family well, while not wasting money on stuff that is disposable. Lastly, in efforts to eliminate food and other waste that has negative impact on the world, I'm striving to use up and reuse wherever possible.  Case in point, rewashing zipper bags, particularly the big sturdy ones.Self imposed goals help me. Does anyone else have any specific, goals in mind for their savings strategies. Do you turn convert your savings into a future goal?

Washed gallon size zipper bags air drying.